"There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met." - William Butler Yeats

Friday, August 1, 2008

26 days under par

RENO, NEVADA - August 1 -- We are a short drive or a very long walk away from swimming in the Pacific, and I can almost taste the salt water. There was some confusion that the journey was over after the last video post, but that is still a bit premature because the completion of the trip will be met once we reach the opposite coast.

***

Brian and I have been staying with Scott and Taylor in the 'The Biggest Little City in the World.' Seeing the new Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly movie, Step Brother, made me feel like I wasn't trekking across the country anymore, but just hanging out with a few good buddies.

Scotty works for the Reno-Tahoe open, a PGA Tour event. My first volunteer opportunity was introducing Art Sellinger, the two-time long drive champion, to a crowd of people eager to watch him crush some golf balls. I was unusually relaxed standing in front of the audience and the news cameras. Michelle Wie hitting balls at the driving range behind me didn't even get my palms sweating, perhaps the confidence I have in myself has grown more than I can measure from the summer. Art gave a quick tutorial of the game of golf and then hit some wacky shots, including a golf ball through a board, a watermelon and off of a baseball tee.

Our second day of volunteering was during the actual PGA Tour event. Brian was on crowd noise control on the green of the par-three sixteenth hole. Going with the Spanish theme, one side of his sign read 'SILENCIO' while the other said 'GO LOCO.' The sign was fitting with the mariachi band playing in the background. At one point, a pro golfer threw his hands up in frustration when the band accidentally started playing while he was concentrating on a birdie put. I was at the entrance, wearing a sombrero I'd clipped off the wall, making sure people were of age and had their passes to enjoy margaritas and the upbeat atmosphere.

So, we're in Reno, headed for San Francisco and the finale to the trip. It's a bittersweet feeling to see the end of the journey. I don't want it to end but am excited to complete something that seemed so distant on May 20th.

5 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Hey Denny, if ya'll are still there see if you can get a discussion going over the New Mexico State Nevada game on October 11th. We're flying out and would love to meet up with some of those you've met. Enjoy the last of your journey.

I am sitting like a proud mother so happy for you guys! Be careful on this last leg and remember everything you learned. You guys look more clean cut then traveling through Texas, but I understand the audience is a little different.

WHO WE ARE

WHERE WE'VE TRAVELED

WHAT WE ARE DOING

We are traveling coast-to-coast across the United States, reaching out to the people we encounter along the way and observing how people react and reach out to us. Our adventure began on the Atlantic coast in Maine on May 20, and we hope to reach the Pacific coast by summer's end.

We will live minimally, hiking with our belongings on our backs. We are giving ourselves a $10-per-day spending limit for food. We will not seek out luxuries, trying our best not to pay or ask for accomodations or transportation. That said, we're open to any good fortune that may come our way.

In an adventurous, extreme approach, this is a study of how Americans interact with one another in today's society. We will document the trip through our blog - www.nostrangerland.blogspot.com - with writings, photos, and videos, allowing people to interact and follow along with us on our journey.

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

We want to get to know our country, its people, and ourselves with the hope of inspiring others with our stories. We are tired of the negative news in our world and want to do something uniquely positive to counter it. We hope to create a movement of peace and make America a bit better of a place. We believe kindness is contagious and don't want to live in a society in which people are skeptical of strangers. We want to live in No Stranger Land.

BLOG ARCHIVE

No Stranger Community

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Any way you can! Helping spread the word about our project would be greatly appreciated.

Feel free to contact us any time with specific questions or thoughts at: nostrangerland@gmail.com

Some kind followers have inquired as to how they can donate to the project to ensure we are able to stay afloat and see the journey all the way through. If you are interested in helping out in this way, please click here:

Most importantly, we hope you support us by following our adventure.

Thank you very much for your encouragement!

-Brian Triplett and Denny Clark

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT

Mom & Dad Triplett

Mom & Dad Clark

Jodie Clark

Grandma Triplett

Grandma AuBuchon

Grandma Clark

Mike & Sarah Triplett

The Baths

Shannon & Brent Hood

Trish Geniesse

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Barbara Thomas

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Davis Brown Law Firm

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Tom & Lynn in Maine

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Baristas in Portsmouth

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Seacoast High School

Joe & Michelle in Cambridge

Lindsay in Concord

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Scott in Clinton

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A.J. in Amherst

Rita

Monica in Worchester

Meaghan in East Hampton

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Bob & Pam

Everyone at Sheffield's

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The Waitzels in Manasquan

The Steens in Lawrenceville

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These United States

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Nancy & the kids

Windy Clark

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People who email

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And everyone following our story!

OUR FAVORITE CHARITY

We had the pleasure of spending time in New York City with Shimmy Mehta, founder of Angelwish. To learn more about his foundation, please click on the image above.

T-SHIRTS PROVIDED BY

Thanks to Active Endeavors! Iowa City

A very special thank you to Mark Weaver and staff for helping us out with quality camping gear.

Thanks to Gander Mountain! Davenport

A very special thank you to Nathan Boynton and staff for providing us with $50 of last-minute essentials.

Thanks to JanSport!

Special thanks to Jason Lucash of JanSport for providing us with brand-new packs.

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Questions or Comments? Please write to us at: nostrangerland@gmail.com